Soft as the parasite's silk, let him be made As if I loved my little should be dieted. Сом. cles, in Then reason safely with you.-Therefore, be it known, As to us, to all the world, that Caius Marcius With all the applause and clamour of the host, used by the writers of Shakspeare's time in the sense of prelude or preparation. It is so used by Sir John Davies and Philemon Holland. MALONE. 9 For what he did &c.] So, in the old translation of Plutarch: "After this showte and noyse of the assembly was somewhat appeased, the consul Cominius beganne to speake in this sorte. We cannot compell Martius to take these giftes we offer him, if he will not receaue them: but we will geue him suche a rewarde for the noble seruice he hath done, as he cannot refuse. Therefore we doe order and decree, that henceforth he be called Coriolanus, onles his valiant acts haue wonne him that name before our nomination." STEEVENS. The folio-Marcus Caius Coriolanus. STEEVENS. Bear the addition nobly ever! [Flourish. Trumpets sound, and Drums. ALL. Caius Marcius Coriolanus ! COR. I will go wash ; And when my face is fair, you shall perceive Whether I blush, or no : Howbeit, I thank you :I mean to stride your steed; and, at all times, To undercrest your good addition, To the fairness of my power.2 COM. So, to our tent: Where, ere we do repose us, we will write To undercrest your good addition, To the fairness of my power.] A phrase from heraldry, signifying, that he would endeavour to support his good opinion of him. WARBURTON. I understand the meaning to be, to illustrate this honourable distinction you have conferred on me by fresh deservings to the extent of my power. To undercrest, I should guess, signifies properly, to wear beneath the crest as a part of a coat of arms. The name or title now given seems to be considered as the crest; the promised future achievements as the future additions to that coat. HEATH. When two engage on equal terms, we say it is fair; fairness may therefore be equality; in proportion equal to my power. JOHNSON, "To the fairness of my power"-is, as fairly as I can. M. MASON. › The best,] The chief men of Corioli. JOHNSON. -with whom we may articulate,] i. e. enter into articles. This word occurs again in King Henry IV. Act V. se. i: "Indeed these things you have articulated." i. e. set down article by article. So, in Holinshed's Chronicles of Ireland, p. 163: "The earl of Desmond's treasons articulated." STEEVens. LART. I shall, my lord. COR. The gods begin to mock me. I that now Refus'd most princely gifts, am bound to beg Of my lord general. Сом. Take it 'tis yours.-What is't? COR. I sometime lay, here in Corioli, At a poor man's house; he us'd me kindly: And wrath o'erwhelm'd my pity: I request you Сом. O, well begg'd! Were he the butcher of my son, he should Be free, as is the wind. Deliver him, Titus. LART. Marcius, his name? COR. I am weary; yea, my memory is tir'd. Have we no wine here? By Jupiter, forgot : Go we to our tent: Сом. [Exeunt. At a poor man's house;] So, in the old translation of Plutarch: "Only this grace (said he) I craue, and beseeche you to grant me. Among the Volces there is an old friende and hoste of mine, an honest wealthie man, and now a prisoner, who liuing before in great wealthe in his owne countrie, liueth now a poore prisoner in the handes of his enemies: and yet notwithstanding all this his miserie and misfortune, it would doe me great pleasure if I could saue him from this one daunger; to keepe him from being solde as a slaue." STEEVENS. 6 free, as is the wind.] So, in As you like it : I must have liberty, 66 Withal, as large a charter as the wind." MALONE. SCENE X. The Camp of the Volces. A Flourish. Cornets. Enter TULLUS Aufidius, bloody, with Two or Three Soldiers. AUF. The town is ta'en! 1 SOL. 'Twill be deliver'd back on good condition. AUF. Condition? I would, I were a Roman; for I cannot, I' the part that is at mercy? Five times, Marcius, me; And would'st do so, I think, should we encounter As often as we eat.-By the elements, 8 If e'er again I meet him beard to beard, "Being a Volce, &c.] It may be just observed, that Shakspeare calls the Volci, Volces, which the modern editors have changed to the modern termination [Volcian.] I mention it here, because here the change has spoiled the measure: Being a Volce, be that I am.-Condition! JOHNSON. The Volci are called Volces in Sir Thomas North's Plutarch, and so I have printed the word throughout this tragedy. 8 9 STEEVENS. meet him beard to beard,] So, in Macbeth: "We might have met them dareful, beard to beard—.” -for where-] Where is used here, as in places, for whereas. MALONE. STEEVENS. many other I thought to crush him in an equal force, (True sword to sword,) I'll potch at him some way;1 Or wrath, or craft, may get him. 1 SOL. He's the devil. AUF. Bolder, though not so subtle: My valour's poison'd,2 With only suffering stain by him; for him 1 up I'll potch at him some way;] Mr. Heath readspoach; but potch, to which the objection is made as no English word, is used in the midland counties for a rough, violent push. STEEVENS, Cole, in his DICTIONARY, 1679, renders "to poche," fundum explorare. The modern word poke is only a hard pronunciation of this word. So to eke was formerly written to ech. MALONE. In Carew's Survey of Cornwall, the word potch is used in almost the same sense, p. 31: "They use also to poche them (fish) with an instrument somewhat like a salmon-speare." TOLLET. 2My valour's poison'd, &c.] The construction of this passage would be clearer, if it were written thus: my valour, poison'd With only suffering stain by him, for him The amendment proposed by Tyrwhitt would make the construction clear; but I think the passage will run better thus, and with as little deviation from the text: 3 -my valour's poison'd; Which only suffering stain by him, for him for him Shall fly out of itself:] To mischief him, my valour should deviate from its own native generosity. JOHNSON. nor sleep, nor sanctuary, &c. Embarquements all of fury, &c.] The word, in the old |